November 30, 2009

In NFL news, if the Colts were not already in the Houston Texan's heads, another come-from-behind victory by Indianapolis yesterday will make the Texans feel there is nothing they can do to beat Indianapolis.

You may love the Colts or hate them, but is there any lead that is safe at halftime against Manning and Company?

A bad offensive line, a defense that scares no one, coupled with many bad decisions at the QB position equal a really bad Bears team.

Tonight we will see just how good the 'Ain'ts really are. So far this season, the NFC has been poor competition when matched with teams from the AFC.

November 28, 2009

Good morning readers. I hope this crisp fall morning finds your bellies full and your wallets lighter. I got both of the wife's Christmas trees up yesterday and the boy and I finished decorating outside by putting a swirl of lights around the weird fruit tree.

The wife did something she has never done before; braved the Black Friday morning crowds. She was after a big-ticket item at WalMart. She got there around 4 in the am and still missed out. She learned her lesson. She found the same item (different brand) elsewhere for 50 bucks more Friday evening. She told me there were people running for the opportunity to stand in line to get $2 towels. They are usually $3. Yes, that is a big savings, but how many towels are you going to buy? Is it worth it to get up in the middle of the night to save a Hamilton? I do not get it. Many years ago I braved the midnight lines and pushed and shoved to get my boy the coveted Power Rangers toys he wanted. The only reason the wife even made the attempt was the savings were so large.

The wife told me that the store had a 50 inch LCD flatscreen TV for $500. I told her if she loved me she would have skipped buying stuff for everyone else on her list this year and snagged me one of those. Once again, we had a difference in opinion. I tell you that woman will not see reason.

It is supposed to warm up into the upper 50s today. Maybe I will be able to get outside and enjoy a cigar this afternoon. I bet a certain female in this house has a list of projects for me to work on instead. Are there any bets on who gets their way?

November 25, 2009

It is day three without coffee. that makes four out of the last five days. I am feeling queasy and a bit mean. It is a good thing I work alone.

What? You with your hand up, what is your question? Oh, no reason. It just did not sound good when I woke up.

I did scramble some eggs about an hour ago. i threw in a little cheese to get all melty at the end. I had a tall glass of milk too.

I am not ready for Thanksgiving. I have to make some desserts for the various meals we will be attending. I have to make something for my oldest son to take to a gathering on Friday. Who expects a college kid to bring food? He can't cook. I will make up something on Thursday before we head off to the families that he can take on Friday. Sometimes I wonder about people. I could tell him to just go pick up a pie at the store.

I am trying hard to wind down the work week early today. So far the phone has not cooperated.

Around 200 years ago the first of my ancestors moved into North Central Indiana. They found a heavily forested land -- flat with rich black soil. They cleared the trees and worked the land.

Today, a vast majority of the Hoosierboy clan still lives in the area. I am not sure where exactly, but the original homestead was likely within ten miles of where I took this picture Monday.

Not only can you see the filthy dash of my sporty Taurus, but you can see that Kansas has nothing on Central Indiana when it comes to a view. If you look close you can see some massive grain elevators in the distance. Yep, Cappy, you can store a lot grain in those babies.

November 24, 2009

You have been a fixture of Indiana politics for years. As Governor of Indiana you administered from a fairly conservative position, as you know Hoosiers are a conservative people. You are now in your 11th year as a Senator.

To date, your voting record is liberal. Somewhere along the line you forgot your conservative values. You seem to think you are in Washington to represent the Democrat Party. You could not be more wrong.

With an election looming next year you are suddenly a moderate. Perhaps you remembered that your father was booted out of his Senate seat when he forgot to represent the people. Good old Birch thought he was a Senator-for-life until Danny-boy Quayle, of all people, defeated him. Senator Bayh, do not be so sure the same fate does not await you next fall.

It is pretty convenient that your local office and Washington office phone lines are always busy. Somehow, I do not think the switchboard is overloaded with calls encouraging you to vote for the Healthcare bill or Cap and Trade.

Come on Evan, have the courage to vote for the people of Indiana, not the Democrat Party. Many of us are tested at one moment in our lives. Our courage is measured, our mettle tested. This is your moment. Just vote no.

It has been said that the US Senate is a chamber of 100 would-be Presidents. You have never disguised your ambition. You have always lacked the national attention to get that brass ring. Standing for what is right will get you the fame and exposure you crave. Who knows? I do know this, losing your Senate seat by toeing the Party line will not get you elected to a higher office.

November 23, 2009

I took great pains to present a logical (my mistake) argument that this whole health care bullshit is un-Constitutional. I was promised a rebuttal, instead I got the same old name calling. I am not surprised, logic trumps emotion every time.

I hope you had a good weekend. I did. We went and saw that new Sandra Bullock flick on Friday -- The Blind Side. Go see it, it rates a big Hoosierboy thumbs up.

Saturday we went to some friends house to play some cards and eat some pizza. Sunday we hung Christmas lights. It was a nice day, little wind and warm for late November (mid- fifties) and sunny. The boy helped me put up the lights and the wife arranged the wreaths etc. I missed watching the Colts game, but I heard snippets on the radio while I was working outside.

Last year, when I went to put up my lights almost every strand of the outside lights failed to work. I am sure you remember that minutiae, since a truly devoted fan reads the archives at least every month, and I know most of you keep a log of my activities in an effort to be more like me. I get it. Anyway I made the trek to WalMart to grab new lights and remembering the lessons of Boy Scouts, I bought a few extra boxes (be, be , be prepared is the motto of the Boy Scout, come on sing along). Of course, as often happens three strings did not work properly. You spend good money to buy Chinese electronics and 30% of the products are bad. Go figure.

Since I have a hard and fast rule about turning on my Christmas lights before Thanksgiving, you will have to wait for a picture a few days. I know... Plus the wife now thinks I need to put lights on the cherry/crab apple (not sure which -- the fruit is inedible), so you want to wait to see the whole thing when it is finished.

November 18, 2009

Below is a long counterpoint I have offered in what I believe is a very good dialogue over at Cosmic Navel Lint. I post it here only because my comment is so lengthy. Please read this post and the comments, then this post. I know you do not like to click links, but I think you will find the arguments interesting.

Before I begin my counterpoint, I want to be clear that I do believe there are issues in our current healthcare system. I do believe we need some reform. Where we disagree is what shape that reform should take.

To Erin’s example, people sometimes do not get the treatment they need. It happens, even though it shouldn’t. If the Doctor in question was a true practitioner of his Oath, he would have helped the patient. Again, while not the best solution, the emergency room was available.

To your point regarding the Harvard study. The report acknowledges that part of the results could be that the hospitals and care were unequal, that it may have little or nothing to do with the availability of insurance:

The hospitals that treat them also could have fewer resources.

"Those hospitals tend to be financially strapped, not have the same level of staffing, not have the same level of surgeons and testing and equipment,""That also is likely a major contributor."

Again, it should not be that way. If we spent ½ of the proposed spending to provide insurance for all on upgrading the healthcare infrastructure those result would very well change.

You discuss in detail the denial of coverage by HMOs. You might be aware that HMOs were the brainchild of Ted Kennedy and designed as the 1970s version of reducing the cost of health care in the US. We also have numerous examples of those who are covered under Government Healthcare in Briton, France, and Canada who come to the US for care because they are denied coverage, or the wait times are too long. So let is not pretend those issues will disappear under the current proposals. For those of you who think care will improve under a Government plan, look at the Breast Cancer screening recommendations issued by the Government this weekend. The report allows that by changing screening recommendations 1 in 1.900 women will develop untreated breast cancer. However you do the math, that equals anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 American women per year. But we save a few bucks! The reality is every system will have cracks and denial of service. Let us not pretend otherwise.

As far as the numbers of uninsured, that 40 million number is not even accepted by the White House any more. There are some, like Brook that fall into the category that needs to be addressed. I have been in the same situation. When out of work I could not afford the COBRA payments. It is tough to wake every day praying that your kids do not get sick. I think there is a way to help those people. I have stated so at my site many tomes. I have no issue with vouchers or even a plan to help those who have pre-existing conditions or portability issues etc. I just do not think we need to throw out the baby with the bath water.

We agree the cost of healthcare is too high. You maintain it is because of the HMO/Insurance companies. I ask you, which is more efficient, a company beholden to stockholders and owners or a Government entity with no reason to hold down costs? If we were to open the health care insurance industry to intrastate competition costs would go down. We have evidence in the reduction of premiums when the auto insurance industry was deregulated. If we can strip the onerous requirements applied by the states we could also reduce the costs. For example New Jersey insists all insurance plans cover the cost of hair transplants. I should not be forced to have that coverage if I do not want it. I should not be forced to pay for that coverage just because New Jersey says I should (Yes I know this will be contradicted later, but I am demonstrating how costs could be reduced with out the Government providing health care).

I completely disagree with your Ford Pinto example. If you remember as the reports of exploding Pintos hit the news, sales of the vehicle plummeted. In fact, even after the redesign Ford was forced to abandon the platform. The free market would have accomplished the same as Federal regulations. Do you really think the engineers at Ford purposely designed a dangerous car? Do you believe all corporations are inherently evil? I have more faith in my fellow man. Yes, the examples of corporate greed are legion, but usually a good person will step in and blow the whistle. Governments are also capable of unspeakable evil – we can find examples from Hitler’s Germany to the Tuskegee Airmen to Agent Orange.

You believe the Constitution is an outdated Georgian artifact. I see it as a reflection of true genius. It contains the means to change the Supreme Law of the land. It is adaptable to modern times. I challenge you to show me one case where it is not applicable to today’s society. I, and a majority of Americans (see any number of polls that shows Americans are primarily conservative) believe in a limited Federal Government. You might argue that such a form of Government does not allow for universal health care (And by the way, quoting Keynes is not a good way to convince me; his economics caused the Great Depression to extend by many years). You are right; the founders did not envision women voting etc. But they planned for it with Article V. I stick to my original point; the purpose of the Constitution was a Federal Government with limited powers. You cannot dispute that fact. The 9th and 10th Amendments leave such issues as healthcare to the States. You may not like that Government Design, but you can always create a new Constitutional Convention, or propose and ratify an Amendment granting such powers to the Federal Government. Again, you have not shown where my Constitutional argument falls short, other than “well, Hoose, it shouldn’t be that way”. If you can show me where the Constitution is antiquated and does not fit with today's World, please show me. The fact it does not allow for a strong Federal Government only proves my point -- that was its intention.

I am unclear how another individual’s inability to buy insurance is reason enough to force me to pay for my own insurance should I not want it. You might argue that we are forced to buy auto insurance. I would offer these counter arguments:

1. We are forced to cover the “other guy”, not ourselves or our own vehicle.2. Driving is a privilege, not a right3. The requirement for auto insurance and the levels of coverage are State mandates, not Federal mandates. If the individual States want to create a universal healthcare system, I have no issues. In fact, several states have such a plan (Massachusetts, Tennessee, etc.)

Let us follow your logic. You cannot deny that basic housing and food is even more important than health care. Why is there no cry for universal basics of life provision? Sure, I wish everyone on earth had a nice house in the suburbs, three square meals a day, a big screen TV and chocolate cake on their birthday. Wouldn’t that be grand? But nowhere is there a Universal Right to take forcefully what is mine and give it to someone else.

Life is not fair. Some are born stronger, faster, smarter, and healthier. By weakening the strong, slowing the speedy we do not advance the human race. By offering an equal opportunity to succeed to best of our abilities we open the World to freedom, to prosperity, to happiness. Will some fall short of these lofty goals, sadly yes? Should we offer a hand up when our fellow man see hard times? Most Americans would agree. But there is a big difference between a hand up and hand out.

The United States has spent trillions of dollars since LBJ declared his war on poverty. More than forty years later exactly the same percentages of Americans live below the poverty level. The only difference is now we have generations living on welfare, the family structure is in disarray and living conditions for many are worse than they were in 1966. Is that a shame? Absolutely. Do I have the answers? No. But I do think it is clear that big government solutions are not the answer. As I have asked many times in the past, besides the basic duties outlined in the Constitution (defense, interstate commerce, printing currency, etc.) is there anything the Government does better than the private sector? No one has yet given me an answer.

November 17, 2009

The hospital called the cell to inform him that his wife had beeninvolved in an accident. The man told the doctor to inform his wifewhere he was and that he'd bethere as soon as possible. As he hung up he realized he was leaving whatwas shaping up to be his best ever round of golf.

He decided to get in a couple of more holes before heading to thehospital. He ended up playing all eighteen, finishing his round shootinga personal best 61, shattering the club record by five strokes andbeating his previous best game by more than 10. He was jubilant....

Then he remembered his wife. Feeling guilty he dashed to the hospital.He saw the doctor in the corridor and asked about his wife's condition.

The doctor glared at him and shouted, "You went ahead and finished yourround of golf didn't you!" "I hope you're proud of yourself!"

"While you were out for the past four hours enjoying yourself at thecountry club your wife has been languishing in the ICU!" "It's just aswell you went ahead and finished that round because it will be more thanlikely your last! For the rest of her life she will require round theclock care and you will be her care giver! She will need IV's; you willhave to change her colostomy bag every 3 hours; she will have to bespoon fed 3 times a day and don't forget the hygiene care."

The man was feeling so guilty he broke down and sobbed..

The doctor snickered and said, "I'm just messing with you. She's dead.What'd you shoot?"

November 16, 2009

Did you sty up and watch Sunday Night Football last night? Wow. What other coach in the world would go for it on fourth and two at you own 27 yard line? the football gods hate arrogance and the evil Patriots paid the price.

Remember when I posted about my daughter proudly buying her first car a few months back. She loves her little Jetta. She cleans it every week and will not even eat in the car.

Yesterday an 85 year old man pulled right into the side of her car. She said she was on a busy road and she was one of many cars and he just drove into her. She is spitting mad. Luckily she is not hurt. She said she sat there and called the cops, some witnesses came over to see if she was Ok. The old man just sat in his car. She finally went over and tapped on his window. After she got him to roll it down she said "hey you just hit me". He said "where did you come from?"

Her car had to be towed. He hit hard enough to push her across the other lane and into a parking lot. I have long maintained you should not be allowed to drive until you are 18, and that after 70 you should be tested every two years.

In other boring news you do not care about, I raked the leaves Saturday, then I went with the wife to buy a few Christmas gifts. The holidays will be light this year, and maybe we can avoid going at the last minute like we usually do.

November 15, 2009

Some of you think I resemble Forrest Gump -- not a smart man. So could some of you liberal-IloveObama-types explain something for me?

How is it possible, or even make sense, to offer enemy combatants a trial in US Courts (New York!)? Why are we offering foreign nationals, who have waged war and committed terrorist acts against our Nation, the protections of the US Constitution? These terrorists are not even covered under the rules of the Geneva Conventions (legally we could have executed them on the spot).

Here is another 'splain this Lucy observation I made earlier this week. Nealy every 'conservative' leaning blog I visited had a comment or post dedicated to Veteran's Day. Check out the liberal blogs. Did any of them even mention the Holiday? Did you notice? Draw your own conclusions.

November 14, 2009

November 13, 2009

On occasion I like to go slumming and read liberal blogs. I never cease to be amazed at some of the garbage they spew. Lately, Some of them have been fixated on Fox News. For people who generally take a condescending, I am so much smarter than you tone, these people are either idiots, ignorant, or outright dissemblers of truth.

let me try to set you straight, oh narrow minded ones ( and let me interject that it is not necessary for your to parrot the White House and Daily Kos in every post -- think for yourselves). I will type this slowly so you can follow me. There is news and there is opinion. News is facts. Opinion is commentary and interpretation of those facts.

The front page of your local paper is usually news. The page called Editorials or Opinion is not news. Shows where people of various political stripes offer their interpretation of the events of the day are opinion shows. They are not news reports.

Hannity is opinion. beck is opinion. In the same vein Rush, and Olbermann are both opinion shows. Maddow and Matthews are not news. O'Reilly is not news and neither are the Sunday shows.

If you condemn Fox as not being a news network you should also refuse to read your local paper, it also has opinions. If you are anything but raving lunatics you would be up in arms at MSNBC, the liberal version of Fox -- when it comes to its opinion shows.

You are likely to point out that on occasion the anchors of the news portion of Fox show their bias. yes they do. I suggest you spend some time looking into the actions, words and deeds of the "mainstream media". You remember "Fake but accurate" Dan Rather. Cronkite's lies regarding Tet, blowing up the trucks when they did not roll on 20/20, etc., etc., etc...

Take a little advice from the old Hoosierboy fellas. Get off that high horse, it shows your ass.

November 12, 2009

Part One. I made a pot of chili Monday night. I am not fond of the stuff (beans), but the wife loves it. She has a serious case of acid reflux or maybe even an ulcer. If she eats spicy foods she is up vomiting all night. She is a stubborn mule and will not go to the doctor. I made the chili deliberately mild, to the point she complained I did not put in enough spice.

Part Two. Our alarm clock is an old digital model we have had for at least twenty years. It has never failed. It has two alarm settings. Alarm 1 I never change, that is the time I get up. I set alarm 2 for unusual needs, like a two hour delay of school etc.

Part Three. I get up every morning at 6:14 am to wake the boy for school. I wake the wife at 6:50 so she can get ready for work. Often I go back to sleep after I get her up for a quick half-hour power nap before I start my long commute to the spare bedroom to work.

Part Four. In spite of the mildness of the chili, the wife was up sick all night. When she was not in the bathroom, she was tossing and turning and keeping me awake. When the alarm went off Tuesday morning, I was tired and grumpy. I had stayed up late Sunday night, then got very little sleep Monday night. I woke the boy. When I woke the wife I was looking forward to a little make-up sleep. She said she did not know if she was going to work since she still did not feel good. She did not get up. I woke he again about five minutes later. She said again she did not know if she was getting up or not. So I ask myself, am I supposed to keep waking her or not? Who knows? She has to call in if she is not going. I want to go back to bed, but I can't until she makes up her mind.

I wake her a third time. Again I ask if she is getting up. again no definite answer. I tell her to go, don't go, just take a decision. I tell her I am tired of waking her. This pisses her off. She decides she is not working and goes back to bed.

I power nap on the couch for about 20 minutes. I have to leave for Michiana later Tuesday morning. She mentions she set the alarm and is going in 1/2 day. She is still mad at me because I was irritated at her indecision. Whatever.

Part Five. I woke with a start Wednesday morning. It is 6:16, two minutes after the alarm is supposed to go off. WTF? I check the alarm, yes it is on. I check the time -- the wife had changed Alarm 1! It is a miracle I am awake. I get up the boy. When it is time to wake the wife I tell her it was the hand of God who woke me up in time this morning. I am in a good mood because in spite of a potential disaster I woke on time. I ask her why she changed the main alarm? She said it was closer to her. I point out the buttons to set Alarm 1 and Alarm 2 are less than 1/2 inch apart. She points out I should have known she would change Alarm 1, and it is my fault we nearly overslept.

A smart guy would have dropped it. You may have noticed if you read here much that I have a need to prove I am right at times -- like when I am.

I told her we NEVER have changed Alarm 1 once it is set. She said she is tired of me being an asshole every morning.

I now double check the time is correct on the alarm clock every night before I go to sleep.

That is how a pot of chili and the hand of God combined to put me into the doghouse.

November 10, 2009

e. My heart goes out to the victims of the Fort Hood and Orlando shootings and their loved ones. Senseless, senseless incidents. I will not go quietly into the night on this one. America needs to do something about idiots with handguns. How many more Fort Hoods and Orlandos do there have to be before our political leaders have the guts to severely restrict access to murderous weapons?

November 9, 2009

Mainstream Muslims(if there is such an animal) have gone to great pains to tell us the suicide bombers and terrorists and Taliban-type followers of the teachings of Mohamed do not represent the true nature of Islam. Every time a Muslim male between the ages of 18 and 40 decides, in the name of Allah, to blow a pizza parlor or a disco, to fly planes into a building, to bomb an Embassy or hotel, to put an explosive into an airliner or bus or train station, to drive a TNT-loaded speedboat into a Navy ship, to attack a school, etc., etc., etc., we are told that they do not represent Islam. Yet every time one of these Islamic-fascists, who we are told are not really Muslims, does a depraved act of barbarous terrorism, we see thousands of what I guess are non-true-adherents cheering and partying in the streets?

Why is it when a Muslim soldier rolls a grenade into a tent, or murders a baker's dozen (and wounds 30 more) we are offered the excuse of he did not want to fight Muslims. We are told that this is not a war against Islam. Our Government has told us that repeatedly. We are told that we are at war against terrorist organizations and regimes who want to do us harm. That these people are all followers of Islam is a tragic coincidence. In mosques around the country we are assured that Islam is not at war with the culture of the West. If this is so, then why is it always offered as a lame excuse that "he did not want to kill other Muslims"?

In previous wars Catholics did not declare they could not fight Germans or Italian Catholics and shoot up their fellow soldiers. Americans with Italian and German heritage felt no qualms about shouldering an M1 and heading for the shores of France or Italy. Yet for some reason we are supposed to accept that for a certain segment of the population it is OK to take Uncle Sam's dollar and decide later who you want ot fight. That it is acceptable to kill as many people as possible who may not agree with your decision. Somehow we have come to a position in this society where we can have post traumatic stress disorder before we even get the stress. Should we call this pre-traumatic stress disorder?

Here is what I think, there are people who put their religion first. Quakers feel strongly about the Ten Commandments and do not enter the military. Many Americans put their religion first. But it is unacceptable to put your religion first if you join the military. In today's armed forces the brave men and women who serve do so voluntarily. There is no draft. When Major Hasan took the oath to protect America from all enemies, both Foreign and Domestic, that oath did not say "unless they are Muslim".

Maybe it is time we faced facts and admitted the truth. There is no compromise between those of us who love freedom and those who believe in Shari'a Law. There is no compromise between those of us who love freedom and the teachings of goat herding pedophile from the 7th Century. Islam is at war with us, whether we like it or not. The sooner we face that unpleasant fact the better off we will be.

November 7, 2009

The Obama Golf Czar has announced there is a possibility of MAJOR rule changes to the game of golf, to take effect March 1, 2010, fulfilling the hopes of millions of duffers.

This is only a preview as the complete rule book is being rewritten now. Here are a few basic changes:

Golfers with handicaps: - below 10 will have their green fees increased by 35%. - between 11 and 18 will see no increase in green fees. - above 18 will get a check each time they play.

The dollar amount placed in bets will be as follows: -for handicaps below 8, an additional $10. -between 8 and 14, no additional amount. -above 14, you will receive the total amount in the pot even if you do not play. The term "gimme" will be changed to "entitlement" and will be used as follows: -handicaps below 8, no entitlements. -handicaps from 8 to 14, entitlements for putter length putts. -handicaps above 14, if your ball is on green, no need to putt, just pick it up.

These entitlements are intended to bring about fairness and, most importantly, equality in scoring.

In addition, a Player will be limited to a maximum of one birdie or six pars in any given round. Any excess must be given to those fellow players who have not yet scored a birdie or par. Only after all players have received a birdie or par from the player actually making the birdie or par, can that player begin to count his pars and birdies again.

The current USGA handicap system will be used for the above purposes, but the term 'net score' will be available only for scoring those players with handicaps of 15 and above.

This is intended to 'redistribute' the success of winning by making sure that in every competition the over-14 handicap players will post only 'net score' against every other player's gross score.

These new Rules are intended to change the game of golf. Golf must be about Fairness. It should have nothing to do with Ability.

November 6, 2009

I saw Old Henry Lee Summer more times than I can count. I can say without a doubt he is in the top two or three entertainers I have had the privilege to see. Henry had a one-hit wonder with this song. If you ever get a chance to hear his live version of Treat her Like a Lady, well,I can only offer that he makes The Cornelius Brothers sound like a bunch of hacks.

Henry has had his legal problems with drugs and alcohol lately, but in the day he was a hell of an entertainer.

As a bonus here is a performance from one of the First Farm Aid concerts:

November 4, 2009

It occurred to me while posting a comment over at a liberal blog earlier that one of the biggest issues we face in this country is a complete ignorance of The Constitution.

Liberals (leftists)believe we should adopt a more socially-kind government. They see no reason why the Fed should not provide health care to those who need it, food to the hungry, or affordable housing. In a good and compassionate world, that would be the case. Scandinavia and much of Europe base their Government on just such a premise.

If we disregard whether that is the proper role of a Government, we still have a problem here in the US. The Founders deliberately designed a type of Government that prohibits a strong federal role. The powers of the Legislature are limited and clearly defined in Article 1, Section 8. The Founders believed the Federal Government was equal to the State Government, not superseding. To make that clear they adopted the 9th and 10th Amendments.

Some of you may not like that premise. You might believe it is the role of the Federal Government to look after the needs of the citizenry. The Founders thought of that too. There is a prescribed way to modify the Constitution to that effect.

If the people of Ohio want the State to provide universal Health Care, the State can implement it at any time. If I live in Ohio and do not want to pay for Health Care, I can move freely to any of the 49 other States. If I live in Kentucky and want free health care, I can move to Ohio, where the taxpayers agree that is their social burden and are glad to pay for it.

We may not like the way the Government is set up, but that is the way the Founders envisioned. Change The Constitution or get over it and work to get the changes you desire at the State and local level.

November 3, 2009

A couple of decades ago when I was a snot-nose kid right out of college I volunteered as an Assistant Scoutmaster for a Boy Scout Troop. we were an active bunch, camping, hiking, or canoeing every month -- year round.

One Saturday in early summer we scheduled a hike to a farm in the country. The distance was about five miles or so (one way). The farmer promised us access to water. We could camp in a copse of trees and fish in his pond. We promised to clean up a family cemetery nearby in return.

We set the rules to teach the boys a bit about camping and hiking. They could go as individuals, pairs or as patrols. One patrol decided to pool together, the other two went as pairs and individuals. The Scoutmaster and I paired up to teach the boys how it should be done.

We set out early on a Saturday morning. It did not take long for the boys who were stuck carrying the two-man tents to start bitching. At the half-way halt there was much switching and repacking of the loads. Eventually we made it to the campsite, blisters, aching shoulders and all.

The boys dug into their packs and pulled out the peanut butter or bologna sandwiches packed by their Moms. Steve (the Scoutmaster) and I set about lunch with hardly a word between us. He started a fire and I pulled out my trusty coffee pot. I filled it with water and pulled out a bag of rice and a cloth bag of creole seasoning. As the water boiled I added the rice and seasoning. Steve began to slice up some smoked sausage. We each had a small aluminum skillet. It served as a cooking and eating utensil. Steve fried the sausage and then we added it to the cooked rice. I tossed in a few wild green onions we found nearby and we had an excellent lunch. By the time it was ready the boys were standing around our fire drooling. Lesson number 1 was learned.

We cleaned the cemetery and then the boys spent the late afternoon fishing. I pulled out a couple of steaks from my pack. They were frozen when we left that morning and they were nicely thawed in their foil pack and plastic Ziplock bag packaging. I threw a few potatoes under the ashes. Steve caught and skinned a catfish. He placed it in the foil from the steaks with some more of the green onions and some of the left-over seasoning. He put it on the edge of the fire as I cooked the steaks.

Most of the boys were eating Spam or beef stew from a can. A few caught fish, but had no way to cook it. Several had brought hot dogs to cook on a stick. One boy had purchased some dehydrated food from the camping store. Again the leaders set the stage for the way to eat on the trail. A pot of coffee finished the feast.

Steve and I put down some plastic and unrolled thin blankets (much lighter than a sleeping bag). We slept under the stars. Had it rained, the plastic could have been rolled into a tube tent or just pulled over the top of our bodies. No heavy tent and poles for us!

Breakfast was sliced and fried bacon, and a chopped up potato from the night before fried in bacon grease. We then scrambled a few eggs into a proper breakfast skillet. The trusty coffee pot again provided the needed caffeine. Some of the boys ate dry cereal. Some did bring instant hot chocolate to drink. Spam again was on the menu for some.

When we hiked back the boys agreed that canned goods are not only heavy, they do not taste as good as fresh meat. They learned that with just one or two cooking pots you can cook about anything. It never occurred to any of them that a coffee pot could be used as a pan.

Why am I boring you with this tale? I opened a can of beef stew for lunch. I can eat better. I just need to put in the effort.

The White House claims that 650,000 jobs were saved and created by the Stimulus Bill. Instead of calling The Obama a liar, I will accept this number at face value. The stimulus bill cost us taxpayers a whopping $787 billion -- before interest and long debt servicing costs. If my calculator works properly that equals about $1,210,000 per job created.

Not so fast says the White House. We have only spent $150 billion on job recovery. OK, if we needed these funds so badly our Representatives could not even take time to read the bill, why is the money not being spent (BTW, I told you so)? And if the money is not spent on job creation,, what are we spending it on? Anyway, again, I will take the Obamaites at their word. $1.5 billion divided by 650,000 jobs means it only cost Joe Taxpayer a measly $230,000 per job created and saved. I do not know how things are in your neck of the woods, but a $230,000 job is way above average around here.

Do you feel better knowing these same geniuses are going to make your health care cheaper? Has buyer's remorse set in yet?

Like Big Dick says, make sure you keep those Obama stickers on your car so we know whom to hold responsible.

November 1, 2009

Here I am, up bright and early on a Sunday morning. It is time for my semi-annual post regarding the ridiculous requirement to change my clocks in an effort to save, or in the case of the fall, not to save daylight. Of course we do not really save daylight by moving our clocks forward and back. We only change the time of day we burn our lights. Do we want it dark when we get up or light longer in the evening?

If we used real common sense, and did not legislate on the basis of more time to play golf of a July night, we would reverse the inane practice. During the short days of winter, we will get up for work and send the kiddies to the bus stop in the dark anyway. As it is now designated, we get the added bonus of coming home in the dark, or near dark, too. If we moved our clocks ahead in the fall, at least we could see the sun in the evening as we huddle over the grill cooking hamburgers on a January night.

For most of my life we never changed the clocks here in the heart of Hoosierland. That worked just fine for me. For the next several days, when I am sleepy at 11:00 pm, and wake at 5:00 am, I am going to be a bit grumpy. Consider this fair warning.